“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” – Thich Nhat Hanh Per my last post regarding mental health care during the Corona, I thought I’d share this personal experience… I got tested for Covid-19 today finally, after a month of my ‘extreme’ lockdown. I will know results in 3-5 days. I have a strong feeling my symptoms…
Posts Tagged with cure stigma
The Coronavirus “Bright Side”: Ending Mental Health Stigma Once and For All
After long days in the library, transcribing research interviews and coding, I recall the heartwarming feeling, when I was gifted a smile from a random stranger. The rest of the evening would be surprisingly pleasant and peaceful….A seldom solace. I could wrap myself in the warmth of that smile in order to sleep at night,…
The Ultimate Brown Girl Power: “Good Girls Marry Doctors”
“Good Girls marry doctors, it’s true, especially in the Desi community. What, then, do Bad Girls do?” – Piyali Bhattacharya Women of color experience an array of challenges at varying levels in America, in diverse sectors, and in different elements of our social interactions. Women of color have been the center of the more recent…
Why I Run the UNRWA DC GAZA 5K…Take 4…
Today I ran in the GAZA 5K in Washington, DC! It was a privilege to be participating my 4th consecutive year in the DC run. Similar to the previous years, it was a beautiful experience. There were about 500 runners that raised over $160,000 for this critical cause! The Gaza 5K raises funds for community…
Surviving and Conquering Hate: Reflections on Arjun Sethi’s “American Hate”
“Speaking out is the most basic and vital form of resistance.” – Arjun Singh Sethi I spent some time reflecting on Arjun Sethi’s “American Hate: Survivors Speak Out,” which was published over a month ago. I also had the opportunity to hear Arjun speak about his book at the Politics and Prose in Washington, DC,…
Addressing Mental Health Stigma in Academia
This topic warrants more time, research, and reflection, but I want to begin sharing my initial reflections here, due to some recent experiences. I’ve been baffled by the irony of mental health stigma in our communities. Especially in my locality for the past 9 years. Washington, DC has probably some of the most “depressed” or…
I will not cry…
I will cry, and that’s okay. I understand this is not your way… To hand me a tissue, when you see me on the train…. When a tear slides down my cheek, As my forehead hugs the window pane. But if I cry, I can promise you … My spirit will not die. It isn’t…
Islam and Mental Health: Fighting Stigma while Embracing God…
I’m no scholar of Islam. Although there was a time where I lived and breathed and walked and talked and drank and ate this religion (stealing Yusuf Islam’s words 😊 ) and a time that my greatest dream was to be a scholar of Human Rights in Islam. Dreams change, and sometimes they have to….…